Refresh (Stray Kids Hwang Hyunjin)

Seventeen

"Ok, ok... I got another on 9820002 divided by eighty seven," BamBam tested him.

"Oh come on, Bam. Let the poor boy eat. You've been asking him those questions all lunch!" Lori rolled her eyes at him.

"Sorry. It just fascinates me. How can a human have such amazing mental maths skills?"

"Maybe he really is a witch in disguise," Jackson commented and soon they were all laughing, Jinyoung included.

Well, maybe not all...

"Seriously, Alex? It was just a joke. Chill out," Lori jabbed the side of her stomach. "And eat, would you? We don't want you fainting in chemistry, now do we?"

"I'm not hungry," Alex mumbled.

"Yes, you are. Eat."

"No."

"Eat."

"I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"She's been acting strange since she read that letter from Mark," BamBam shrugged, biting into his sandwich. "Apparently Mark has a weak heart."

"Oh my gosh, let me see!" Lori's voice was full of worry.

Alex shook her head.

"He said I shouldn't show anyone."

"He doesn't want us to know he has a weak heart? Seriously, Alex? That's the best lie you've got?" Lori glared. "Just give me the letter."

"No. There are things in it he doesn't want you guys to see."

"Stop lying! Give it, Alex. Give it!"

Alex hated how loud Lori was and how the chattering in the cafeteria was starting to die down as everyone watched the commotion at their table.

"No."

"For Pete's sake! I'll get it myself."

Lori grabbed her bag but Alex ripped it out of her hand.

"Don't you dare, Lori."

"If Mark is sick, we have to know."

"But he doesn't want you to know."

"Liar."

"Lori," Jackson called her. "Calm down. Let her be. Even if she is lying, if she doesn't want you to know, you don't have to know."

"Mark said something about us, didn't he? Something about me," Lori yelled, glaring coldly at Alex. And she had a flashback of Lori doing it before, in the other world when she was her bully.

Alex's eyes widened as she stood up and took multiple steps away from the table. Jinyoung watched as he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Alex tranced a hint of guilt behind his dark eyes.

"Is she telling the truth?" BamBam asked, looking worried and eager to know. "Were you just lying all along?"

Alex tried to speak but nothing came out.

"Look at her. Run out of excuses, have you Alex? Can't lie anymore?"

"I'm not lying Lori," she whispered, scared.

"Then give us the letter."

She shook her head. Lori laughed.

"Pathetic. If you want to protect your stupid boyfriend, go elsewhere. I can't stand to look at your face right now."

Alex took one last look at Lori before running off.

"Well that wasn't very nice," Jinyoung stated taking a bite out of his sandwich.

Lori only glared in return.

"And who are you again? Don't answer that, I don't care. If you want to defend her, leave. And that goes for you, BamBam and Jackson, as well."

Jinyoung stood up and packed his lunch away.

"If you wish, Queen," he smirked.

"I don't know where you're from but over here people usually say 'princess' not 'queen', doofus."

He smiled.

"I know. It's just you really remind me of someone from where I come from. She's a queen. The Third Queen."

***

"Alex? What are you doing here at this time? Isn't it still school time? Wait... Are you crying?" Mark asked as he opened the front door wider and led her inside the house.

"Where are your parents?" She asked in return.

"Work."

"They allowed you to stay home?"

"No, I pretended to leave for school then waited until they left before I entered again. I had to make sure I actually had my spare keys today," he laughed before Alex didn't join him.

"J, whoever that is, what he said... I think it's starting to happen..."

"What?"

"The past repeating itself? Today Lori and I got into an argument when she was speaking I had a flashback of her from the different life thing. She looked at me exactly the same and said the same things. And I think she just kicked me out of our friend group... You might be kicked out too."

Mark stared at her for a while more before asking the dreaded question.

"What did she say?"